Fall in street crime boosts Paddick

The "softly softly" drugs policy of Brian Paddick, the police commander removed from his post by Scotland Yard, have resulted in more arrests for hard drugs and a fall in street crime.

New figures which appear to vindicate the Brixton drugs experiment also show that burglary is down.

Drug arrests in Lambeth borough, which includes Brixton, rose 65 per cent in a year after Commander Paddick decided not to arrest cannabis users, saying the tactic would allow officers more time to pursue dealers in heroin and crack cocaine.

The disclosure intensifies pressure on the Met and the Metropolitan Police Authority as they try to work out what to do with Commander Paddick, who was transferred from Lambeth after claims by a former boyfriend that they had both smoked cannabis.

Mr Paddick denied taking the drug but admitted that his boyfriend James Renolleau did so in his presence. He is being investigated by an officer from an outside force, under supervision of the Police Complaints Authority.

But his supporters will seize on revelations that there were 159 class A drug arrests in Lambeth last month compared with 96 for both cannabis and class A drugs in the similar period last year.

Street crime has been cut by 35 per cent and burglaries by eight per cent. Crucially, the findings refute critics' claims that the new policy has attracted even more drug dealing and use in the borough.

Arrests for class A drugs rose from 90 last December to 107 in January and 159 last month. Street robberies, which were running at more than 30 a day in Lambeth in the aftermath of the 11 September bombings, when many officers were redeployed to central London, have been cut to 17 a day. The corresponding figure for last year is 23 a day.

Burglaries, many of which are drugrelated, have been cut to 363 last month from 397 in February last year. Since the introduction of the no-arrest cannabis policy last summer, burglaries have dropped by 26 per cent and street crime - a major problem in Lambeth - has fallen six per cent.

Sources say up to 2,500 police manhours have been saved by removing the bureaucratic requirements on officers making arrests for cannabis.

While no one disputes that the officer faces serious allegations, there are mounting calls on Commissioner Sir John Stevens to stand by his Commander. The officer's belief that he is the subject of a homophobic witch-hunt in the media and within the Met itself is shared by many.

The Dean of Lambeth, Canon Richard Truss, has expressed support for Mr Paddick and a demonstration is being called at Lambeth Town Hall next Tuesday to demand his reinstatement.

Scotland Yard's evaluation of the Brixton experiment is expected by Easter and will assist the Home Secretary in deciding whether to downgrade cannabis to a class C drug.